Sunday, February 26, 2012

Random pix

I haven't been taking as many "random pix" as I normally do because my camera has so much dust behind the lens that there are black blotches over all the resulting photos. I took it into a camera repair shop and was quoted $99 for cleaning (since essentially the entire camera would have to be disassembled and re-assembled), so I may as well get a new camera. However that's not on our immediate horizon, so please forgive the blotches, since at least the camera can still record our daily lives.

Anyway, here are some random pix from the last few weeks.

This is what our barn looked like last August, stacked full with hay.


This is what it looked like a couple weeks ago. It looks severely depleted, doesn't it? (At least from a let's-hope-we-have-enough-hay-to-last-us-all-winter perspective.)


Fortunately from a front view, there's more hay than it seems. Still, I don't know if we'll have enough to last through spring. We'll probably end up having to buy two or three tons.


One evening after the sun went down, we had an odd little kickback of color on a single bit of mist.


The house, lit with candles and oil lamps, a few minutes before our neighbors arrived for our weekly potluck (we alternate houses -- it was our turn to host).


Here's Younger Daughter's fiddle teacher, jamming with one of his sons and two of his students. Music constantly fills this house.


An interesting bumper sticker.


One of our Aracauna hens, perched on Polly's pen door.


A pretty sunrise.


My mother, who sews beautifully, made a cloak for Younger Daughter. It arrived in the mail last week. It's so so warm! And she loves it!


Deer.


For her 16th birthday, some friends gave Older Daughter a Kindle. Don also had a Kindle, but he dropped it and the screen broke. (An advantage of books over electronic media, right?) Anyway one day Older Daughter was reading in front of the woodstove and Major, our old lab/hound mix, was lying next to her. Don had the idea to put the broken Kindle in front of Major.


Making sugar cookies...


...with the help of my faithful companion.


Speaking of faithful companions...


Bringing in some leftover lasagna from our "outdoor refrigerator."


Local gas prices as of Feb 23. I'm going to start documenting them again because every indication is they're going up, up, up. I know some parts of the country already have $5 gas.


A chilly misty morning.


Lydia says, let's play!

17 comments:

  1. Thank you for allowing us to share your family's life. I especially like that your home is covered with books.

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  2. All great pics,but I'm partial to the dog ones. :)

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  3. Dear Patrice, I have been an avid reader for a long while now and I need to tell you this - Your photos are as much a part of your writing in everyday life as are the words themselves. You owe yourself a new camera. I have struggled long and hard to get my mother to upgrade from her OLD digital camera because it is time for a new one. It is time for a new one for you too. Go to HSN or Amazon and simply pick one that is between $50-$100 (when you have the money) and enjoy the updated technology. You won't be happy until you can snap away at a moments notice or capture a video of a fiddle lesson to share with us. You've earned it! Why waste the $$ on a 'repair' when you can easily get a glorious new unit?

    God Bless,
    Janet in MA

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  4. Patrice,
    I love your pictures, there is nothing better than looking at family pictures. Great looking barn for to store the hay in. Love....love the cloak your daughter is wearing. Yes we have the electronic book and I'm afraid were going to break the screen too. My hubby and I find ourselves picking up the books more so than the screen. I think those of us that live / lived in colder climate can truly appreciate the outdoor refrigerator, lol. Thanks for sharing.

    Sandy, Oklahomatransient.blogspot.com

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  5. Just love your "random pix" moments and any other photos you put in for us - spots and all. Keep 'em coming please :-)

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  6. love the daughters new "cloak" and i am gonna plan on making myself one.

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  7. Phyllis (N/W Jersey)February 26, 2012 at 3:38 PM

    Love your pics - reminds me of long ago when we would drive around in the evenings and look at people's windows wondering what their life was like. Were they happy like us? Did they have children? How many?
    Thank you for keeping your curtains open and letting us "peek" inside!

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    1. I thought I was the only one who did this. Hubby and I still like to make an evening of walking about town, or driving around, peering for a brief second at the warm light in people's windows as we drive by.

      I wonder the same things...Are they happy? How big is their family? Do they love their home?


      Just Me

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  8. I just love the pictures you post of Lydia!!! Keep them coming!

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  9. Hi Patrice! Lovely pics! Hey, I'm trying to order a couple of tankards from you. I sent you an email at the hotmail address. Could you please contact me? Thanx!

    Celeste

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  10. I would suggest. Checking the library and online for instructions on how to take the camara apart.If you find them mabye your husband can fix it for you.I once found instructions at the library for an old 1950's stereo camera.

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  11. Thanks for the great pictures of your family life. I found your blog through another site and its become a part of my morning routine along with my coffee. I live in Arkansas and gas here is $3.49. The gas signs make me cringe when I drive by. I drive 40 miles round trip to work 3-4 days a week and 2 days to college which is actually a bit farther.

    Sara

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  12. Lol, an advantage of kindle over a book? Your dog doesn't eat your kindle when you get up to go to on an emergency bathroom run. I had a signed copy of the simplicity primer (I even had contact paper over the cover to prolong it's life!)which I left too close to dog level, apparently. When said emergency bathroom run occured, my Boxer took it upon herself to destroy my simplicity primer. Completely shredded all over the back yard. ~Sigh~

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  13. Turn off the wireless and you'll save your Kindle battery. I can check out books from the library with my kindle.

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  14. I'm a professional photographer and live just north of you in Bonner County. Would be happy to help w/ your dust problem if possible. What type of camera do you have?

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    1. It's a Panasonic Lumix 8x DMC-FH20 pocket camera. I must admit I beat the holy tar out of it. I'm forever shoving it into various pockets to have handy whenever the opportunity arises. Besides the dust, it's a great little camera.

      - Patrice

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  15. Was hoping it was a DSLR. I'm not experienced w/ your panasonic model -- sorry 'bout that. Dust is likely either behind the lens or on the CCD itself. Should be able to get a camel hair brush from the camera shop downtown. If Don can get it apart, the brush should be able to remove the dust from both.

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